Best open-source alternatives to Microsoft OneDrive

Syncthing is a peer-to-peer file synchronization tool designed to keep files consistent across multiple computers without relying on a central cloud service. The README emphasizes safety, security, ease of use, and automatic operation, positioning the project for individual users who want reliable syncing with minimal manual intervention. The project provides guidance for getting started, building from source, and running in Docker, and it references GUI wrappers for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It also points users to a dedicated documentation site, a forum, and a GitHub issue tracker for support and bug reports. The software is released under the MPLv2 license and includes signed release binaries, with an automatic upgrade mechanism mentioned in the README.

Cloudreve is a self-hosted file management system designed for people or organizations that want to run their own cloud-style file platform. It focuses on managing files across multiple storage backends, including local storage, remote nodes, and several third-party object storage providers. The project provides a web-based interface with features for uploading, downloading, previewing, sharing, and organizing files. It also supports multi-user operation, WebDAV access, background downloads through Aria2/qBittorrent, and rich online preview/editing for common file types. The README positions it as an all-in-one package for both quick local testing and production deployment.

SeaweedFS is a distributed storage system aimed at handling very large numbers of files efficiently. It is positioned for users who need scalable storage with low-latency access, including S3-compatible object storage, file storage, and lakehouse-style tables on top of the same underlying data. The README describes several deployment paths, including a single-binary quick start, Docker, Docker Compose, Helm on Kubernetes, and building from source. It emphasizes a stateless S3/filer layer, scalable volume servers, and support for replication, erasure coding, tiered storage, and cloud caching. It also highlights an API surface that is broad enough to work with common tools such as AWS SDKs, rclone, restic, Spark, and Trino.

Puter is an open-source internet operating system designed as a personal cloud and application platform. It is aimed at people who want a self-hostable, privacy-oriented place to store files, apps, and games, as well as teams or developers building and publishing web applications and games. The project presents itself as an alternative to mainstream cloud storage services while also offering a remote desktop-style environment for servers and workstations. The README highlights a hosted version at Puter.com, but it also provides local development and self-hosting instructions using either a direct Docker run or Docker Compose setup. The software requires Node.js and npm for local execution, and the repository is licensed under AGPL-3.0.

restic is a command-line backup program designed for users who need reliable, secure, and efficient backups across Linux, macOS, Windows, and several BSD variants. It emphasizes ease of use, speed, verifiability, security, and storage efficiency, making it suitable for both individual users and administrators who want a straightforward backup tool that can be restored when needed. The project works by creating a repository, then storing backups as snapshots that can later be restored or mounted for browsing. It supports a variety of native backends, including local directories, SFTP over SSH, an HTTP REST server, Amazon S3, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, and additional services via rclone. The README also points users to online documentation and a forum for support.

copyparty is a self-hosted file server aimed at turning nearly any device into a shareable storage endpoint. It is designed for people who want simple uploads and downloads from a browser, but it also exposes traditional transfer protocols such as WebDAV, SFTP, FTP, TFTP, and SMB/CIFS for clients that prefer them. The project appears geared toward personal servers, small deployments, and power users who want flexible access methods and fine-grained control over folders, permissions, and sharing. Its README highlights browser-based file management, temporary share links, thumbnails, search, media playback, and other convenience features, while emphasizing that the server itself only requires Python and that most dependencies are optional.

ownCloud Core is a self-hosted collaboration platform designed for people and organizations that want to store and manage their data on a server of their choice. It focuses on files, calendars, contacts, and related personal or team data, with synchronization across devices and sharing with others. The project emphasizes extensibility through additional apps such as Calendar, Contacts, Mail, and News. It also highlights security-oriented features like secure HTTPS transport and optional encryption at rest. The README points users to the official installation manual for deployment and provides separate notes for contributors who build the project locally.

Nextcloud Server is a self-hosted collaboration and file platform for individuals, teams, and organizations that want control over their data. It provides a central place to store files and also supports contacts, calendars, communication features, and sharing across devices. The project is designed for users who want cloud-like functionality on infrastructure they control, whether at home or in a company environment. It is extensible through a large app ecosystem, includes security features such as encryption and two-factor authentication, and can be deployed by self-installation, through hosting providers, or via appliances and preinstalled devices.

Pydio Cells is a file sharing platform aimed at organizations. The README describes it as a full rewrite of the Pydio project in Go, organized as a microservice-based system. It is intended for self-hosted use and development on local machines, with instructions for building from source, configuring a database-backed installation, and starting the server. The project also provides pre-built binaries and points users to official installation and developer documentation for deployment and deeper configuration. The README emphasizes that it is a work-in-progress branch for Cells v5.

Tiny File Manager is a lightweight PHP-based web application for managing files through a browser. It is designed to be dropped into an existing server directory with minimal setup, making it suitable for users who want a simple self-hosted file manager rather than a larger content management or administration platform. The project supports individual user accounts with per-user root directories and session-based access control, which makes it useful for small teams or administrators who need controlled browser-based file access. It also includes a built-in editor with Cloud9 IDE support, archive handling, document previews, search and filtering, and multilingual translations, while emphasizing straightforward deployment and low overhead.

Seafile is an open source cloud storage and synchronization project aimed at users and teams that need private file storage, sharing, and collaboration. It organizes content into libraries that can be synced independently, and it supports encrypted libraries so users can protect data with passwords they choose themselves. The README positions it as a teamwork-oriented storage platform rather than a simple file sync utility. The project includes file sync capabilities such as selective sync, delta transfers, conflict handling, and resuming interrupted uploads. It also offers collaboration features like group sharing, upload and password-protected download links, version control, metadata management, multiple file views, and integrations with office suites, a built-in document editor, a wiki, and Excalidraw. The README also points to separate repositories for the server, web UI, desktop client, mobile apps, and WebDAV component.

FileGator is a self-hosted web application for managing files and folders on a server. It is aimed at teams, administrators, and other users who need a browser-based way to organize, upload, download, and share files without relying on a database by default. The project supports multiple users with roles, permissions, and home folders, and it can connect to different storage backends such as local storage, FTP, S3, Dropbox, Azure Blob, and others through adapters. It also provides a single-page frontend, chunked uploads, bulk download, and extensible authentication and session options, making it suitable for deployments that need flexible file access and integration with existing storage systems.

Unison is a long-running file synchronization utility for POSIX-compliant systems and Windows. It is designed for users who need to keep two copies of a directory tree aligned across different machines or disks while allowing changes to be made independently on both sides. The README emphasizes that Unison is suitable for people synchronizing important data and that it handles conflicts explicitly rather than silently overwriting changes. The project is oriented toward self-hosted, local use rather than cloud services. It works over SSH or direct TCP, supports offline work after data has been synchronized, and can run in repeat mode with a filesystem monitor for near-real-time updates. The README also notes that the project is free software under GPLv3 and that source code is available, while packaged binaries are often provided by Linux distributions.

Ente is a privacy-focused, fully open source platform built around end-to-end encrypted storage and authentication. The README presents it as a cloud-based service that lets users keep their data without trusting the provider, while also allowing self-hosting for those who want to run it themselves. The project bundles several client applications and a server in one monorepo, spanning mobile, desktop, web, and Linux platforms. It targets users who want encrypted photo management, secure document storage, and a TOTP authenticator alternative, with features such as private sharing, collaborative albums, family plans, semantic search, and background uploads.

Sync-in Server is a self-hosted collaboration platform designed for organizations and privacy-focused users who want to keep ownership of their files and documents on their own infrastructure. It provides a modern web interface for managing collaborative spaces, secure sharing, and access-controlled document workflows. The project emphasizes interoperability and open standards, with support for multi-editor document collaboration, WebDAV access, and integration with desktop and CLI clients. It also includes enterprise-style identity features such as OpenID Connect single sign-on, LDAP integration, and multi-factor authentication, making it suitable for managed environments that need centralized authentication and fine-grained permissions.

OpenCloud Server Backend is the main backend repository for the OpenCloud server. It is intended for developers and contributors who want to build, run, or extend the server-side components written in Go. The project centers on backend services that authenticate users through OpenID Connect, either by connecting to an external identity provider such as Keycloak or by using the embedded LibreGraph Connect provider. Instead of relying on a separate database, it stores data in the filesystem, with the default server root located under the user’s home directory. The README also documents a development workflow for generating assets, compiling the binary, and starting a local test instance.

Quickshare is a self-hosted file sharing and file management application aimed at users who want to move files between different devices and manage them through a browser. It supports both personal use and shared access, with features such as folder sharing, anonymous links, QR-code-based access, and the ability to handle many files at once. The project also includes user management capabilities, allowing multiple users with user/admin roles, home directories, quotas, and per-user speed limits. It can be run via Docker, from source, or as a released executable, and is designed to work across Linux, macOS, and Windows. The README emphasizes that files are stored locally and that the software can be managed from the operating system as well as the browser.

IFM is a web-based file manager implemented as a single-file PHP application with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. It is aimed at users who want a lightweight browser-based interface for managing server files without deploying a large stack. The project supports local, Docker, and Docker Compose deployment modes, and it can be built in bundled or CDN-based variants. Its interface provides common file operations such as creating, editing, copying, moving, downloading, and uploading files and directories, along with archive extraction, permission changes, and image previews. Authentication can be configured, including LDAP-based login, and the bundled build is designed to work without client internet access.

SFTPGo is an event-driven file transfer server for managing file exchange and storage across local and cloud-backed environments. It is aimed at organizations that need a single platform to expose standard transfer protocols while integrating modern storage systems such as S3-compatible object storage, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, and even other SFTP servers. The project is offered in a community edition and a commercial enterprise edition. The community edition includes the core protocols, storage backends, and browser-based WebAdmin and WebClient interfaces, while the enterprise edition adds advanced workflows, high availability enhancements, stronger identity controls, document editing, and other mission-critical features. The README positions it as a production-ready, open-source solution with a sustainable business model and dedicated documentation for both editions.

Mikochi is a self-hosted remote file browser designed for servers and NAS devices. It provides a lightweight web interface for managing files on a remote machine, making it useful for users who want browser-based access to their stored data without relying on a full-scale file management suite. The project supports common file operations such as browsing, searching, uploading, renaming, deleting, and downloading files or entire directories as compressed archives. It also includes media streaming integration for VLC and mpv, and exposes an API for programmatic access. Deployment is flexible, with options for Docker, Helm on Kubernetes, native Linux packages, and precompiled binaries.

Uploady is a self-hosted file uploading application written in PHP for users who want a modern, secure upload workflow with management features. It is positioned as a quick-to-install script that can be deployed on a typical PHP/MySQL stack or via Docker, making it suitable for site owners, administrators, and developers who need to accept and manage file uploads on their own infrastructure. The project centers on multi-file upload support, configurable protection controls, and an administrative interface for managing uploaded content. It also includes role-based access, localization, customization options, and a RESTful API for programmatic uploads. Optional ClamAV integration adds malware scanning, while the roadmap and project structure indicate a broader application with user management, profile pages, and file lifecycle controls.

FileRise is a self-hosted file management and storage platform built as a PHP web application. It is aimed at individuals and teams that want to run a private cloud-drive-style system on their own infrastructure, with browser-based file handling, sharing, and access control. The core product focuses on folder-based workflows: users can upload, browse, preview, search, tag, and share files while administrators can enforce granular ACLs across the UI, API, and WebDAV. The README also highlights optional capabilities such as OnlyOffice editing, PDF previews, encryption at rest, ClamAV scanning, and multiple storage sources, making it suitable for storage hubs and client portal scenarios. The project also exposes a documented API and supports local accounts plus OIDC SSO with two-factor authentication. A paid Pro edition adds collaboration and automation features such as user groups, client portals, audit logs, and AI-oriented workflow tools.

gossa is a small web server for serving and browsing files from a local directory. It is positioned as a fast, simple, dependency-free tool with a minimal codebase that is intended to be easy to review and reproduce. The project is aimed at users who want a lightweight way to expose files through a browser without adding a complex application stack. Its built-in interface supports browsing folders, uploading via drag-and-drop, viewing media and PDFs, editing simple notes, and navigating with keyboard shortcuts. The README also notes support for multi-account setups and read-only mode, while HTTPS and authentication are intentionally delegated to external middlewares or proxies such as Caddy.

Personal cloud where you can manage and sync your files, notes, contacts, passwords, and documents.

File Browser is a self-hosted web application for managing files inside a chosen directory. It is intended for people who want a lightweight, browser-based way to access files on their own server rather than using a full cloud storage platform. The project positions itself as a single-binary tool that can be installed anywhere and pointed at a local path. Through its web interface, users can browse, upload, delete, preview, and edit files. The README also notes that the project is in maintenance-only mode, with no new features planned, and directs readers to hosted documentation for setup and configuration.